The Saskatchewan Roughriders have removed American quarterback Trinidad Chambliss from their negotiation list after claiming his rights back in September.
The six-foot-one, 200-pound passer completed his senior season at Ole Miss with a 31-27 loss to Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinal round on Thursday night, capping his season with 3,937 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and three interceptions over 15 games. He also rushed for 527 yards and eight scores to lead the Southeastern Conference in total yards and passing yards.
The native of Grand Rapids, Mich. started his collegiate career at Ferris State University, a Division II program located in his home state.
After two seasons as a backup, the 23-year-old became the team’s starter in 2024 and threw for 2,925 yards, 26 touchdowns, and six interceptions to lead the team to a Division II National Championship. He also rushed for 1,019 yards and 25 touchdowns to be named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
After his remarkable 2025 season, Chambliss is now the No. 4-ranked quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to ESPN, which is likely what led the Roughriders to drop him from their negotiation list.
CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.
Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders finished first in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 12-6 record, finishing first in the West Division for the first time since 2019. The team went on to defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, marking the team’s first championship in 12 years. Trevor Harris went 11-5 as a starter, throwing for 4,549 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
The Roughriders ranked second in net offence, second in net defence, and tied for third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was A.J. Ouellette with 1,222 yards, leading receiver was KeeSean Johnson with 1,159 yards, and leading tackler was A.J. Allen with 91 tackles. Saskatchewan finished second in attendance with average crowds of 28,427, which was a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year.
